Indigenous Territories (ITs) present the highest rates of forest conservation in the Amazon. In these protected areas, traditional ways of life that make sustainable use of resources result in a considerable portion of the biome’s carbon fixation: 27%—almost a third of the total. Though well-preserved, ITs still suffer environmental pressures that alter the native forest cover, affecting the temperature and rain cycle and aggravating climate change.

The Tradition and Future in the Amazon project, sponsored by the  Petrobras Socio-environmental Program, endeavors to contribute toward the territorial and environmental management of five Kayapó Indigenous Territories, helping maintain the native vegetation, carbon stocks, and biodiversity, and valuing the traditional knowledge of the Mêbêngôkre people.

To achieve this, training will be offered to local groups in order to help them build their capacities and develop their skills so that they can manage their territory in a manner that allies income-generation and the population’s general well-being. Youths and women are the priority groups for these workshops. Children and teens will receive environmental education classes at school and experience-sharing interchanges will be arranged for educators at indigenous villages.

In addition, community discussion and planning will be fostered to identify the needs of the Mêbêngôkre IT and draw up a National Indigenous Territorial and Environmental Management Plan (PGNATI in the Portuguese acronym) that properly values indigenous heritage and ensures the preservation of indigenous cultures for present and future generations.

The Tradition and Future in the Amazon project will also update carbon stocks pricing and strengthen agroforestry systems so as to ensure food security. Technical and logistical support will be provided on this component, and steps will be taken to integrate traditional Kayapó knowledge into production processes.

FUNBIO is the proponent and executor of this initiative, which will be developed over a period of 2 years at the ITs in Pará and Mato Grosso.